


shifting out of neutral

by soldierwitch



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Touch negotiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 09:57:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15240879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldierwitch/pseuds/soldierwitch
Summary: set between 2x05 and 2x06Jughead and Toni's kiss blooms into more than a meeting of the lips, becoming an opportunity to talk, touch, and figure out each other's boundaries when it comes to hooking up.





	shifting out of neutral

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, y'all! I finally finished this fic. I started it in November, but I didn't really have a clear direction for it besides knowing I wanted to do something with touch negotiation and boundaries. This is a one-shot, but I'm not averse to coming back to this universe if the feeling calls. I'm big on open and honest communication, so that's what I tried to work through in this fic. Hopefully that comes across. I hope you like it!

Jughead has walked the tightrope of tension between him and Toni for weeks, respecting the gravity of commitment and loyalty. The problem is, as most things are in youth, the compulsion to explore upon discovering something new and exciting, damn the consequences. So, he’s teased their attraction, prodding at it like one would a sore wound, convinced that he hasn't been playing with fire because his feelings for Toni don't burn. But what Jughead has forgotten, what he will come to remember, is that attraction has never been a forest fire for him but nevertheless it still retains the power to change the landscape of his life and the people in it, including himself.

The first sign of change comes when Betty cuts ties with him and instead of wallowing in self-pity, he’s nursing a busted lip and holding an ice pack against the knot on his forehead. The sting of his injuries matches the ache in his heart and while bruised, both physically and emotionally, he isn't coming apart at the seams. Betty and the Serpents have left significant damage in their wake but it doesn’t feel irreparable. And maybe it’s the adrenaline left over from the gauntlet. Or the pin prick rush of getting his tattoo done. Or maybe it's the simple fact that for once he isn’t alone in the aftermath of someone he loves upending his life. In any case, the future doesn’t look entirely bleak even in the low watt light of his kitchen.

Toni, quieter than she's been since he’s known her, hums softly as she empties the tupperware bowl full of water tinted pink from the remnants of blood left on the cloth she had used to clean his face.

Jughead watches her as she washes the bowl, her bracelets tinkling as she moves her hands under the water. The same hands which moments ago had been brushing soft and delicate across his scrapes. Her voice a whisper of apologies whenever he winced or hissed.

When she turns around, job finished, his bowl wiped clean and drying on the counter, Jughead pretends as if he hasn't been staring though he knows he's been caught. The small smirk trapped in the corner of Toni’s mouth gives away her amusement. Jughead has a sudden urge to trace it with his thumb but his mind quickly pushes the thought to the side, reminding him of the sweet taste of strawberry milkshakes and cherry chapstick, the feel of blonde wisps between his fingers. His heart intrudes with a bubble of anger, a phantom memory of his fingernails digging into his palms as the golden boy broke him as a favor for the girl next door.

_Except you're not broken_ , he thinks as Toni settles back in her chair, her eyes sparking at the plastic on his shoulder. _Possibly scarred but not broken._

“Let me see,” she says with excitement, a bounce to her shoulders complementing the grin in her eyes.

Jughead carefully pulls the tape away, slowly revealing the tattoo.

“Welcome to the Serpents…officially,” Toni says, her smile softening as she takes in the gang’s trademark snake but then it fades with a sigh. “You're gonna have a hard time hiding that from Betty.”

“I think that’s a non-issue now,” he says. The words soft, maybe a bit wounded, but not harsh.

There's a pause. A crackle that lights up the air in the room. Jughead can see the moment Toni decides she's going to kiss him. He has time to move back or stop her, but he doesn't. Instead he leans forward, choosing to fall from the tightrope. Time to stop pretending he hasn't wondered if she'd taste like the cinnamon gum she likes to pop. Or if his lips would sting from the spice of it. He finds that she does and they do but it doesn't stop him from kissing her.

It's Toni that ends the kiss, her forehead nearly touching his as they share the same shaky breath. “Do you want to stop,” she asks, voice gone breathy and fragile.

Jughead knows that they should. He’s hot off the heels of getting the shit punched out of him, the shoe dropped in a relationship he’d always seen as having a timer strapped to it, and his best friend wants nothing to do with him. All signs in his life are pointing to him pumping the breaks and taking a minute. But the only thing he takes is a deep breath in before shaking his head no and initiating a kiss of his own. 

Toni may not fit the definition of being a good influence in his life but she has been a guiding force. She cares so much it’s palpable. What you see is what you get with her, and Jughead is tired of trying to make sense of the things people say to him one moment and do to him the next. Besides he likes kissing, the rhythm that you fall into, the give and take. It doesn't stir anything in him not like Archie told him it would but kissing feels warm, makes his mouth ache in a way that he savors. 

Betty always told him to relax into it. Let the electricity and the heat carry him out of his mind but he's never been able to reach that place she talks about where you kind of just know what you want and how you want it. Following her lead is what he's done, listening to what she asks for him to do, cataloging her likes and dislikes...

Toni bites his lip. Her laugh at his gasp makes his cheeks flush. He can feel the warmth radiating from them cooled slightly by the cradle of her palms. She breaks the kiss.

“Serpents have fangs, Juggie,” Toni says. “It's okay to bite.”

He nods, his hair falling into his face.

She pushes it back, smile small as she looks at him. “Zippo for your thoughts?”

Jughead huffs in amusement, taking her hands in his. “Out of pennies,” he asks.

“What Serpent you know carries change around?”

Silence.

“That’s what I thought,” Toni says. “Now, you gonna answer the question?”

“I don’t even know why it’s being asked.”

“Well,” she begins, letting go of his hands and leaning back in her chair, arms folded. “A girl likes to know she’s the only thing on a person’s mind when it comes to swapping spit.”

Jughead scrunches his nose up, smile twitching on his lips. “Toni.”

She rolls her eyes. “Whatever, Jug, my point is you were in your head.”

“Sorry,” he says, suddenly sheepish.

“Don’t be,” Toni says, placing a hand on his knee. “Just talk to me.”

Jughead swallows, tongue thick. ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ is never a good line even when it’s the truth. He really, really doesn't want to mess things up with Toni. She's his only friend left and, if he’s honest, the closest thing he's had to a best friend since Archie began to play fast and loose with their friendship.

“Jughead?”

He sighs, his shoulders moving with the force of it, still not looking at her. “I was thinking about Betty.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve never kissed anyone else.”

“Okay.”

“I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone else.”

“Cool.”

Confused by her bland responses, Jughead looks up and finds Toni’s face blank which is a first, one that he doesn’t like. “Toni.”

“I should go,” she says as she stands and grabs her bag, her chair scratching against the linoleum floor. “It’s getting late. Maybe tonight my shit stain of an uncle will let me in and I can sleep in my own room for once.”

“Toni, hey, wait a second.”

To Jughead’s frustration, she doesn’t, choosing instead to head toward the door with a “See you later, Jones.”

“Toni, would you just…” Jughead growls, softly, following her. “You asked me to talk but you’re not going to stay to hear what I have to say? A little counter-intuitive don’t you think?“

“What’s there left to hear,” she asks coolly, turning to face him. 

“How about the fact that you’re one of the most honest people I know?” Jughead puts his hands on his hips, looks down. “You’re scarily honest. It makes me want to be open with you like you’re open with me.”

“I don’t like bullshit.”

He looks up. “I know,” he says. “I know you don't which is why I’m trying to be honest with you. Do you think this is easy for me?”

She doesn’t answer.

“I have one point of reference in this department. One. And that’s more than I thought I would ever have or want and she…” he shakes his head. “Everyone says you’re supposed to get lost in it. I can’t do that. I don’t know how to do it. And it never feels how they say it’s supposed to feel.”

Toni nods slowly, the defensive fold of her arms falling away as she takes in his words.

Relief spreads through Jughead when she places her bag on the couch and walks over to him. She's staying and the feeling of being walked out on again dissipates as he watches her figure out what she's wants to say to him.

Toni settles on, “How does it feel?”

He answers with, “Warm. Never more than that. There's no electricity or heat. Feels good though just not as good as I've been told it should be.” 

“So, cards on the table,” she says. “Do you like being touched?”

He thinks about it for a moment. “I don't dislike it.”

“Just doesn't do anything for you?”

“Depends.”

“On?”

Jughead grabs her hands, placing them behind his head. His eyes close as her fingers push under his hat, curling around the hair at the nape of his neck. “I like that.” He places his hands on Toni’s hips, and moves into her space. “And I like touching.” He noses at her ear before biting it, laughing lightly at her surprised gasp like she did at his. “Sounds are nice, too.”

“Kissing,” Toni asks, pulling back, putting space between them again.

“Love kissing. Best thing to do with a mouth besides eat.”

She smirks then, a laugh begging to spill from her lips. “There are better things.”

He shrugs. “So I've been told.”

Toni steps close to him again, plays with the hem of his shirt, fingers brushing against his skin. “This okay?”

“Yes.”

When her hands pull on the knot of the flannel tied around his waist, Jughead’s eyes widen and he freezes.

“This is a no zone?”

He shakes his head but Toni pushes. 

She leans up to kiss him softly, hands settling back on his waist. “Talk to me,” she says when she breaks the kiss.

“Not a no zone,” Jughead says looking away from her.

Toni unties the flannel, lifts his shirt, and places her hand on his stomach her palm flat against the button of his jeans.

Jughead shivers.

“Look at me, Forsythe,” she says.

He does, his lip caught in his teeth.

Toni lifts her free hand to smooth her thumb across his lip. “If it's not a no zone what is it?”

“Not bad,” Jughead says having difficulty explaining. He's not lying. It's not that he doesn't like being touched below his waist. It's okay...sometimes. He’d always distract Betty whenever she tried to spend too much time down there but it was...alright. Not really red flag worthy. He could deal with it and then move on to something better later.

“But not good.”

“It's okay if you want--”

“Hey,” Toni says, taking his face into her hands. “It's okay to say no. Girls aren't the only ones who can have boundaries.”

“It's not a boundary.”

“Then what is it?”

“Negotiated territory.”

When Toni’s brows furrow, Jughead sighs. He's never talked about this before. It's always been easier to fake enjoyment of certain things or speed past what he doesn't like. Most of it’s fine anyway. It's not like he needs to enjoy himself, that's not what it's about for him. It's about seeing the other person, hearing them, knowing that he's the one who made them sound like that, beg, moan, come. That's enough for him.

“Toni--”

“I want to understand,” she says.

Jughead takes her hands from his face and holds on to one. “Okay,” he says and then leads her to his bedroom.

Toni sits on the bed.

Stepping into the v of her legs, Jughead takes her hands and places them back on his waist. “Good,” he reiterates.

Toni scoots back on the bed until there's room enough for her to lay down and pull him on top of her. “Better,” she asks.

Jughead nods.

“Then let’s resume this PG-13 lesson,” she says. “Standard MPAA guidelines apply.

He kisses her, pulling her leg up around his waist, hand resting on her ass. Smiles when Toni moans in between kisses as he grinds up against her.

Toni pushes against his shoulder, placing a finger to his lips when he tries to kiss her again. “You said you were going to explain.”

“You're killing me here, Topaz.”

She grinds up against him. Jughead grunts feeling his cock swell a little.

“Not really,” she says. “You're not even half hard.”

“It’s not about that for me.”

“Then what is it about?”

“Making you feel good.”

Toni cards her fingers through his hair. “And what about you?”

Jughead shrugs. “What about me?”

“Rule number one of hooking up, Forsythe, all parties involved should be enjoying themselves.”

“I’m enjoying myself making you feel good, Antoinette.”

Toni stiffens then flushes. Red flows into the honey of her cheeks. Her pupils dilate just a little bit more.

“Toni?”

“Mhmm.”

“Do you like it when I call you Antoinette?”

She squirms, rubbing against him slightly as she nods.

Jughead licks his lips and slides his hand under her shirt, fingers moving gently across her skin. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” she says, “But as a reminder to my body and your head, hands stay on the waist unless they're touching the face.”

“Did you mean to rhyme?”

“No, but I feel like it emphasizes my point.”

“So many rules, Toni.”

“It's respect, Jug. I'm sorry no one taught you that you deserve it, too.”

Jughead thinks on that a moment. His mother preferred letting his dad school him on respecting women. And he listened rather half-heartedly because it was expected of him and he recognized they'd hit a milestone in his development that required an unnecessary discussion of the birds and the bees. Sue him if he figured the common decency he'd been taught in kindergarten would suffice in the area of the treatment of others. But his father had spent his time talking about making sure the hypothetical girl he was with in some distant period of his life was comfortable. He never mentioned how he should feel comfortable, too. Suppose he thought it'd be a given that he would be and left it at that.

Toni brings his attention back to her with a chaste kiss, the antithesis to the way their bodies are slotted together. “Give me a rule,” she says against his lips.

He complies because she asked and doesn't think too hard about the thrill that runs through him because of her request. “Uh, don’t grab at my ass?”

Toni giggles, her nose scrunching up with the sound as she looks away from him. It’s so cute Jughead has the urge to kiss her, so he does, his lips pressing against her turned cheek.

“You said give you a rule.”

“I know,” she says, eyes sparkling. “But there’s nothing to grab back there, babe.”

“Hey,” Jughead whispers, mock offended, and then proceeds to tickle her sides.

Toni shifts, choking on her laughter with little huffs through her nose. “Jug...Juggie,” she wheezes. “Jughead!”

“Take it back.”

“Nev...Never!”

Jughead’s smile is wide as he takes in the happy flush lighting Toni’s brown skin. He did that. She’s red with mirth because of him. A good thing. The one good thing he’s done in a day full of choices he feels like he was forced to make. 

When Toni settles, Jughead rests his forehead against hers and breathes her in before asking a question he’s never had the courage to ask before.

“How is it possible to want to touch someone so much but not always want to be touched?”

She shrugs. “The same way it’s possible to touch and want touch at the same turn. It’s just something that is, Forsythe.”

“But everyone--”

“It’s not about everyone. It’s about you. What do _you_ like? What do _you_ want?”

Jughead sits up, pulling Toni with him and settling her in his lap. “I like this.”

“And this,” she says scratching at the nape of his neck with her nails.

He leans his head against her chest. “Yes.”

“What else?”

Jughead closes his eyes, takes a deep breath in, and speaks. “I like touching you at your waist, and I think I’d like touching your breasts. You make little breathy sounds when your want more of something, and I think I could become addicted to them. I like the way you feel against me, and your hands on my waist. I want to get my mouth on your neck, and I want to hear you moan in my ear. You’re so soft. I kinda just want to stay wrapped around you.”

“And what don’t you want?”

He stiffens. “Toni…”

“It’s okay,” she says. “Negotiated territory, right? So, let’s negotiate. What don’t you want?”

“I don’t…,” Jughead sighs. “I don’t want your hand in my pants or vice versa. I don’t want sex tonight, but…”

“But?”

“If you’ll let me,” he starts, looking up at her and licking his lips. “I’d like to make you come, Antoinette.”  
Toni nervously pushes a lock of hair behind her ear. “So,” she says. “What you’re saying is you want to bump this up to TV-14 with a delayed fade to black. I don’t know, Jug, our regularly scheduled programming---”

He kisses her, laying her down as he does so before pulling back. “You’re rambling,” he says.

“Yeah.”

Jughead smiles at the dazed quality to her voice. “What do _you_ want, Toni? What do _you_ like?”

“Um,” she stutters, looking down sheepishly. “I like the idea of you making me come,” she says. “But oddly enough I don’t want my boobs touched right now. I kind of just want to suck face, rub together a bit, and then pass out in one of your shirts. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Cool,” Toni says before surging up and pulling Jughead’s mouth down to hers. Her hand slips under his shirt to rest against his waist. 

They kiss for a little while, Jughead moving down to Toni’s neck to lick and suck at her skin. He nips at her shoulder, huffing a bit as she moves against him. With their hips flushed together, it’s hard to tell where she ends and he begins. Jughead likes it. 

He likes the way Toni whines in the back of her throat as he meets her thrusts and how her hands are grasping at the hem of his shirt. She probably wants to take it off, get closer, but she’s respecting the rules they set down. It makes him want to treat her even better, make her mouth slack and wanton as she gets sweeter and wetter the closer she is to coming.

“Can I touch you,” he asks, hand hovering at her waist and then moving down toward her thigh.

And Toni answers with a nod before whispering, “Yeah. Yeah,” in quick succession.

Jughead slips his hand between them, fingers rubbing against Toni through her leggings.

“Forsythe,” she exclaims, grabbing at his arm. “I’m...I…” Her hand goes to his hair and she pulls.

He moans, “Antoinette,” in her ear, electricity shooting down his spine at the feel of his hair being pulled.

Toni’s hips spasm with her release, little whimpers fall from her lips as Jughead helps her work through it. 

She pulls his hand from between them and rests it against her heart.

Jughead can feel it racing still, he bites his lip before looking back up at her. He’s a bit undone by the sight of her.

Toni smiles sweet. “Gold star,” she says making him laugh a bit. “How do you feel?”

He thinks on it, the warmth still flowing from him. He’s half-hard but sated and doesn’t want anything more than what they just did. “Good,” he says. “Happy,” he says almost like a question before laughing at himself and pushing his hair out of his face. 

“Good,” she says. “Now I believe you owe me a shirt.”

“Yes,” Jughead says, hopping to. He walks over to his drawer and pulls out an army green shirt and pair of shorts just in case Toni wants those, too.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Toni says before walking out of the room toward his bathroom. “Be back in a tail shake.”

Jughead watches her leave, a goofy smile on his face before he remembers to get himself ready for bed, too. When Toni comes back, he takes his turn in the bathroom, returning to find her cross-legged on the bed braiding her hair.

“I know,” Toni says, smirking at him as he leans in the doorway. “I’m the total package. A touch negotiator and cuddler all rolled up in one.”

“And what does that make me?”

She scoots over to make room for him, pulling the blankets back in the process. “A boy who got lucky tonight.”

“I’ll take it,” Jughead says making Toni laugh as they settle in, his arms going around her waist and pulling her into his space. “Goodnight.”

“Night, Jug. Sweet dreams.”

He kisses her shoulder in reply and slowly drifts off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback is much appreciated. If you'd like to pop by and drop me a line or a prompt, you can find me @asoldierwitch over on tumblr. Happy days!


End file.
